Jon Beason, MLB -- 4 yearsA veteran LB who was playing well before he got injured; the addition of young stud Luke Kuechly forces Carolina to cut him. Desperate for an upgrade over Brinkley, Spielman lures Beason to Minny with a solid contract. He'll start over Brinkley and should solidify the linebacking corps.

D.J. Moore, CB -- 1 yearA cheap corner buried beneath a top-notch Chicago secondary, Moore is brought in to provide competition and depth. He played nickel in Chicago and could be Antoine's future replacement.

Jason Jones, DT -- 2 years Jones will be brought in as a reliever for Kevin Williams on passing downs. He could also serve as a backup DE.

Matt Moore, QB -- 2 yearsBringing in Moore shows Ponder that he needs to improve and still needs to earn his job next year. He's also a solid backup in case Ponder goes down.

TRADE: Vikings trade Percy Harvin and pick 151 to Houston for pick 28.
Unable to come to terms on a new deal, Spielman pulls the trigger to send Harvin and a late pick to Houston for their first rounder. The deal makes sense for both sides: Houston feels Harvin puts them over the top; Minnesota feels confident in emerging receiver Jarius Wright.

TRADE: Vikings trade pick 119 and a 2014 conditional pick to Philadelphia for WR Jeremy Maclin.
Maclin is a decent #2 reciever, and more of a luxury player. The Eagles, looking to rebuild, feel like trading Maclin is their best option. Enter Minnesota, who has concerns about Jenkins being able to start on the outside, and a deal gets done to send Maclin to Minny.

NFL Draft:

Round 1 [23] -- Cordarelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee| Height: 6'3" | Weight: 205 lbs. | Proj. 40 time: 4.45|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx6pGFvDqt0My favorite receiver from the draft. Patterson has all the measurables you can ask for in a WR. He reminds me a lot of TO: a great YAC receiver, but also has the ability to make the big play downfield. When Patterson gets the ball in his hands he does a great job of following blocks and breaking tackles. This is probably because he returns kicks, and is damn good at it. He's a little raw and will need experience to fully adjust to the game, but Patterson will make a fine WR in the NFL.

Round 1 [28] -- Matt Elam, SS, Florida| Height: 5'10" | Weight: 200 lbs. | Proj. 40 time: 4.53 |http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8AYhBZOLJkMatt Elam is a physical safety who isn't afraid to come up and make a tackle in the run game. He shows good coverage skills and does a great job of staying in his zone, which is very important for a cover 2 safety. The biggest knock on him is his poor footwork and overpursuit of ball carriers; both can be fixed with good coaching. The final starting piece is solved, and for the first time in a while I can feel confident about Minnesota's secondary.

TRADE: Minnesota trades pick 54 to New England for picks 61 and 94.
After taking a CB in round 1, New England gets desperate for a receiver. After eyeing Robert Woods for a while, the Pats trade up with Minny, fearing the talented receiver won't be around for much longer. The Vikings are able to obtain more picks after trading some away; Spielman pulls his draft magic once gain.

Round 2 [61] -- Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky| Height: 6'3" | Weight: 345 |http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTVRFZiNhhUOne of my favorite guards in the draft, Warford will be a welcomed upgrade over Charlie Johnson. He did very well this season considering he plays on a terrible team against college football's best defenses. He's strong, athletic for a guard, and plays very intelligently. I always see him finish a block then quickly turn upfield and look for someone else to block. The offensive line is now in great shape after being utterly putrid just 2 years ago.

Round 3 [87] -- Arthur Brown, OLB, Kansas State | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 230 | |Proj. 40 time: 4.62 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V28z8J3QbtY A good coverage LB with incredible athleticism; Arthur Brown reminds me a lot of Lavonte David. Like David, he's a little undersized, but would still make a great WLB in the NFL. His coaches praise him for being a film room junkie and having a great work ethic. This will also bring in some healthy competition, as both Brown and Marvin Mitchell will be battling for the vacant WLB spot.

Round 3 [94] -- Jordan Hill, DT, Penn State| Height: 6'1" | Weight: 296 lbs. | Proj. 40 time: 5.06 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWFZ2PKWJ8sWith Kevin Williams' career winding down, we'll need a DT to take his place. Though Guion and Ballard are solid rotational guys, we don't know how they'd handle a starting role. Hill, a prototypical 3-tech, has a great motor and knows how to get to the quarterback. If he can bulk up a bit and spend a year behind a veteran line, I like Hill as Kevin's replacement next year.

Round 4 [101] -- Gerald Hodges, OLB, Penn State| Height: 6'2" | Weight: 238 | Proj. 40 time: 4.74 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFPQNY8zdho Chad Greenway is already turning 30 this year... boy does time fly. I'm not saying replace him now, but it would be a good idea to draft a future replacement for him this year. Hodges is young, athletic, and raw. He has great instincts and is a great play maker. In a few years' time, Hodges will be ready to step in and replace Greenway.

Round 6 [168] -- Aaron Mellette, WR, Elon| Height: 6'3" | |Weight: 218 lbs. | |Proj. 40 time: 4.53 |http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swnBirD6HR4 A small school WR, Mellette dominated at Elon. He's definitely got the physical traits, but he'll need good coaching and a year or two to adjust to the NFL. The Vikings take a chance on him, hoping to find a late round gem at WR.

Round 6 [181] -- Theo Riddick, RB, Notre Dame| Height: 5'10" | |Weight: 200 lbs. | |Proj. 40 time: 4.52 |http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRyYxih4kaUThe draft just wouldn't be the same without a golden-domer! Riddick is a versatile back, he even lined up at WR sometimes. He'll compete for the 3rd RB spot with Asiata and Todman.

TRADE: Minnesota trades pick 54 to New England for picks 61 and 94.
After taking a CB in round 1, New England gets desperate for a receiver. After eyeing Robert Woods for a while, the Pats trade up with Minny, fearing the talented receiver won't be around for much longer. The Vikings are able to obtain more picks after trading some away; Spielman pulls his draft magic once gain.

It might seem a bit unrealistic but Woods is pretty good value at that spot._________________

Good overall, but I didn't like bringing back Brinkley when we also get Beason - I'd rather keep McKinley who is cheaper and a good special teams guy. This makes even less sense with the additions of Brown and Hodges.

I'm also not a big fan of Elam with the extra 1st. I really like the guy, but I'm not sure that he's a big upgrade over the safeties we could probably get in the 2nd - McDonald, Jefferson, and Reid. I'd rather look at OG with that 1st (or even the 23rd pick if Warmack is there) and Safety with the 2nd.